The remaining containers were expected to open and sink before running aground, said Réjane Gyssens of the Flanders Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre.

In 2014, the World Shipping Council (WSC) undertook a survey of its member companies – who represent 90 per cent of container capacity worldwide – to obtain a more accurate estimate of the number of containers lost at sea on an annual basis.

It estimated that, during the period 2008-2013, an average of 546 containers were lost at sea each year. This did not count catastrophic events, which pushed the average close to 1,700 containers.

Almost half of German consumers say they aren’t satisfied with the taste of tomatoes. Fred Searle reports from the European Tomato Forum in Düsseldorf on what needs to be done to improve the fruit’s flavour